Apparatus for handling sheet material and for applying successive coatings thereto

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO APPARUTS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIAL AND FOR APPLYING THERETO SUCCESSIVE COATINGS DISPOSED MUTUALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES.

H. M. CORDEROY 3,620,181 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERlAL AND FOR I Nov. 16, 1971 APPLYING SUCCESSIVE COATINGS THERETO Filed Sept. 16. 1969 United States Patent C 3,620,187 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIAL AND FOR APPLYING SUCCESSIVE COATINGS THERETO Henry Morgan Corderoy, Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to A.C.l. Operations Pty. Limited, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Filed Sept. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 858,482 Int. Cl. Bc 5/00 US. Cl. 118-58 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to apparatus for handling sheet material and for applying thereto successive coatings disposed mutually at right angles.

The apparatus comprises a first horizontal conveyor which moves the successive sheets on-the-flat to a discharge position so that, during this movement, longitudinally extending coatings may be applied to its upper face by suitable coating means.

At the discharge position, the sheet overbalances and falls from the first conveyor in a substantially upright attitude onto a second horizontal conveyor disposed below the level of the first conveyor and at right angles to it.

The sheet is maintained in its upright position as it is moved edge on by the second conveyor and during this movement one or more additional coatings may be formed on one or both of its faces by suitable coating means. These additional coatings extend in the direction in which the sheet is then moving and at right angles to the direction of the coatings previously applied thereto while it was on the first conveyor.

The coated sheet may then be moved by the second conveyor through a drying chamber.

This invention relates to the handling of sheets of material and has been devised particularly to facilitate the application of bands or stripes of adhesive coating material to carton blanks, but is not limited thereto.

It is known to secure together the ends and sides of cartons by means of bands or stripes of contact adhesive previously appliedto the interengaging surfaces of overlapping parts thereof, the adhesive used being of the known kind which adheres strongly to a similarly coated surface, but which does not adhere to an uncoated surface. The adhesive bands or stripes thus require to be accurately located and generally must extend in the same direction when the carton is set up or erected. For this purpose, the bands or stripes of each co-acting pair thereof are generally disposed at right angles on the flat carton blank.

Machines for applying the said adhesive coatings to one face of successive carton blanks are well known and generally comprise a horizontal conveyor which supports the blanks, on-the-flat and carries them in succession below appropriately located spray guns which discharge the adhesive coating material. These guns are usually controlled by micro-switches or the like which are operated by the leading and or trailing edges of each carton blank, whereby the spray guns are actuated and shut-off automatically at the requisite positions irrespective of variations in the spacing of the blanks on the conveyor. It will be evident that the coating bands or stripes formed in this way extend parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor. After the coated stripes or bands are thus formed, the blanks are usually passed through a drying oven or the like and when dry, the coatings will not adhere to uncoated surfaces of adjacent blanks. Further coating bands or stripes disposed at right angles to the bands previously formed, may subsequently be applied in the same manner to the opposite faces of the sheets.

Patented Nov. 16, 1971 Machines have also been devised to perform appropriate sheet inverting and re-orienting operations automatically, in a manner which enables the required coatings to be formed on both faces of a sheet Without an intermediate drying step but such machines are relatively complex in construction and generally are not economic for relatively small scale production.

Now the general object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for handling sheets of material, whereby among other things. the aforesaid operations may be carired out automatically in a comparatively simple and inexpensive manner.

Accordingly, the invention provides apparatus for handling sheets to facilitate the application thereto of coatings disposed mutually at right angles comprising a first approximately horizontal conveyor adapted to convey successive sheets on-the-flat from a loading position to the discharge end thereof, a second substantially horizontal conveyor disposed approximately at right angles to the first mentioned conveyor adjacent to its discharge end and below the level thereof, means whereby each sheet on reaching the discharge end of said first conveyor turns longitudinally and is deposited on end and in a more or less upright attitude on said second conveyor and so that it is moved substantially in its own plane thereby, and means for supporting the sheet in said more or less upright attitude during its movement by said second conveyor.

Preferably, each sheet merely overbalances and falls from the discharge end of the first conveyor, with its leading end foremost, onto the second conveyor, and guide means are preferably provided to direct the sheet during this transfer operation.

When the sheet is supported on said second conveyor, it preferably inclines upwardly at a small angle to the vertical plane, and rests against a guide rail disposed above said second conveyor and parallel to it.

The said apparatus may be used for the purpose of applying the aforesaid adhesive coating bands to both sides of successive carton blanks, for which purpose, the required bands may be sprayed in the aforesaid manner onto the upper face of each blank as it moves forwardly, on-the-flat, on the first mentioned conveyor while other adhesive coating bands disposedat right angles thereto may be similarly formed on the opposite face of the blank as it moves forwardly on the second conveyor which preferably extends through a drying oven within which all of the adhesive coatings are dried.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one form thereof is hereinafter further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the outer face of the blank for a standard open-topped carton,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the carton in a partly completed condition,

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in plan of one form of apparatus according to the invention, and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are views in sectional elevation taken respectively on the lines 4-4, 55 and 6-6 of FIG. 5.

The standard carton blank generally designated 10 in FIG. 1, comprises a rectangular sheet of suitable mate rial such as corrugated fibre board, which is slit and creased to define a base 11, side and end walls 12 and 14 respectively and flaps or extensions 16 on the ends of the side walls. This figure shows that side of the blank which forms the interior of the carton when it is set-up as indicated in FIG. 2, and a longitudinally extending band 1-8 of contact adhesive is provided centrally on the lower face of each end wall 14. Also the upper surface of each flap 16 is formed with a narrower band 30 of adhesive, these bands 20 being disposed at right angles to the bands 18 on the lower face of the blank.

It will be apparent from FIG. 1 that the blanks do not adhere when stacked, the one on top of the other, as the adhesive bands 18 and 20 on the opposite faces are then disposed out of register.

When the carton is set-up as shown in FIG. 2, the flaps 16 are folded inwardly to lie against the outer face of the respective end wall 14, so that each adhesive band 20 is in contact with the respective side portion of the adhesive band 18 on the end wall. In this figure, the rear flap 16 is shown in the position it occupies before it is bent inwardly into contact with the end wall 14.

The apparatus shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 3 to 6 comprises spaced horizontal conveyor chains 22 arranged below corresponding slots in a horizontal feed table 24 and provided with propelling lugs 26 arranged to project upwardly through the slots. At least one side of the table is fitted with a longitudinally extending guide flange 28 or the like by means of which each carton blank 10 is correctly located laterally on the table before it passes below spray guns or nozzles 30 adjustably mounted on a cross bar 32 extending transversely above the table.

The actuation and shutting otf of the spray guns is automatically controlled by micro-switches 34 or otherwise, in the aforesaid known manner so that the adhesive is sprayed only onto predetermined portions of the length of each blank.

A second horizontally disposed conveyor 36 which may comprise a single endless chain, is arranged below the level of the conveyor chains 22, and at right angles thereto, with its receiving end disposed opposite to the discharge end of the feed table when the apparatus is viewed in plan as in FIG. 3.

In the operation of the machine as so far described, both conveyors are driven continuously at suitable speeds and successive carton blanks 10 are placed manually or otherwise on the feed table 24 and are pressed laterally against the guide flange 25. Each sheet is engaged by a pair of lugs 26 and is thus moved forwardly over the table and below the spray guns 30 which are automatically operated and shut off at predetermined positions of the blank to form the required bands of adhesive on the upper surface of the blank. These bands may, for example, be those designated 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the leading edge of the blank 10 moves beyond the discharge end of the feed table, it overhangs the latter until its centre of gravity passes beyond the said discharge end, at which time, the blank overbalances and falls with its leading edge foremost onto the second conveyor 36. Suitable guide members 37, which may extend upwardly and outwardly at both sides of the conveyor 36 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, serve to control the descent of the blank.

Thus, the blank when supported on the conveyor 36 is disposed in a more or less upright position though preferably and as shown, it inclines upwardly and laterally towards the feed table 24 at a small angle, e.g. to the vertical plane, in order that it may rest stably against a guide rail 38 arranged parallel to, and at a suitable height above the conveyor 36.

As each blank is moved forwardly by the conveyor 36 and while resting against the guide rail 38, it passes a second set of spray guns 40, adjustably mounted on a fixed inclined support bar 42, and these guns which are controlled in the manner previously described, such as by micro-switches 44, serve to form coating bands, e.g. the bands 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the opposite or inner surface of the blank.

The conveyor 36 is extended onwardly through the bottom of a drying chamber 46 in which the coatings on both surfaces of the blank are dried and after emerging from this chamber, the blanks may pass beyond the end of the guide rail 38, whereby they fall laterally from the conveyor onto a stack or onto a further conveyor (not shown).

The invention therefore provides simple and effective conveying apparatus and associated means by which, among other things, bands of adhesive coating material disposed mutually at right angles may be formed in predetermined positions on the opposite sides of carton blanks, by a continuous operation and without an intermediate drying step.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling sheets and applying successive coatings thereto, comprising a first approximately horizontal conveyor adapted to convey successive sheets onthe-flat from a loading position to the discharge end thereof, a second substantially horizontal conveyor disposed approximately at right angles to the first-mentioned conveyor adjacent to its discharge end and below the level thereof means whereby each sheet on reaching the discharge end of said first conveyor turns longitudinally and is deposited on end and in a more or less upright attitude on said second conveyor and so that it is moved substantially in its own plane thereby, means for supporting the sheet in said more or less upright attitude during its movement by said second conveyor, means for progressively applying at least one coating to the upper face of each sheet as it moves forwardly to said discharge position on said first conveyor, whereby such coating extends in the longitudinal direction of such movement, and means for progressively applying at least one coating to a face of the sheet as it moves forwardly on said second conveyor, whereby the last-mentioned coating extends at right angles to the first-mentioned coating.

2. Apparatus for handling sheets and applying successive coatings thereto, comprising first conveyor means arranged approximately horizontally and adapted to move successive sheets on-the-flat from a loading position to and beyond the discharge end thereof, whereby as the leading end of each sheet progressively moves beyond the discharge end, the sheet overbalances and falls in a more or less upright attitude with its leading end foremost, second conveyor means arranged below the level of said first conveyor means and extending approximately at right angles thereto adjacent said discharge end, means for directing the leading end of each falling sheet onto said second conveyor means whereby it stands in a more or less upright attitude thereon, means for supporting the sheet in such attitude as it is moved edge-on by said second conveyor means, means for progressively applying at least one coating to the upper face of each sheet as it moves forwardly to said discharge position on said first conveyor means, whereby such coating extends in the longitudinal direction of such movement, and means for progressively applying at least one coating to a face of the sheet as it moves forwardly on said second conveyor means, whereby the last-mentioned coating extends at right angles to the first-mentioned coating.

2. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first conveyor means comprises a feed table which slidably supports the sheets and means for propelling the sheets along said table and over the discharge end thereof.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said directing means for the falling sheets comprises opposed guide members disposed parallel to said second conveyor and which diverge upwardly from a position close to its upper surface.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each sheet when standing on said second conveyor means is inclined laterally at a small angle to the vertical plane and wherein said supporting means for the sheet comprises longitudinally extending guide means disposed above and parallel to said second conveyor means in a position such that the inclined sheets rest slidably thereon as they are moved by such conveyor means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a drying chamber open at each end and extending above said second conveyor means whereby the sheets on the latter are carried into and through the chamber.

7. Apparatus for handling and applying coatings to sheets comprising, first conveyor means arranged approximately horizontally and adapted to move successive sheets on-the-flat from a loading position to and beyond the discharge end thereof, whereby as the leading end of each sheet progressively moves beyond the discharge end, the sheet overbalances and falls in a more or less upright attitude with its leading end foremost, means disposed above said first conveyor means for progressively applying at least one longitudinally extending coating to the upper face of each sheet as it moves forwardly therebelow, second conveyor means arranged below the level of said first conveyor means and extending approximately at right angles thereto adjacent said discharge end, means for directing the leading end of each falling sheet onto said second conveyor means whereby it stands in a more or less upright attitude thereon, means for supporting the sheet in such attitude as it. is moved edge-on by said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,751,712 3/1930 Owen. 2,217,724 10/1940 Birmingham 118-324 X 2,573,835 11/1951 Dyar 118-3l4 X 2,646,837 7/ 1953 Brandenburg et al. 118-314 X JOHN P. MclNTOSH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l18314, 324 

